What did you eat today? Food can actually help you detox and purge toxins from your body. Now that you’re recovering from addiction, I know you need all the help you can get in becoming and staying healthy. So add these 13 great foods to your diet and enjoy their delicious flavor. Here are 13 foods that pack a powerful detox punch.
1. Apple
Fresh from the orchard or purchased from the store, apples contain a soluble fiber called pectin. It specializes in removing food additives and metals from your body. Eat these delicious fruits raw, baked with pork chops, or as the primary ingredient in a variety of desserts.
2. Artichokes
Artichokes help your liver function properly, thanks to the antioxidants cynarin, which breaks down fatty foods, and silymarin, which helps your liver process toxins. Additionally, artichokes improve your digestion and gallbladder function. Try grilling artichokes, stuffing them with crab meat, or incorporating them into a creamy soup as you rebuild your liver.
3. Avocado
From guacamole to hamburgers, avocados complement a variety of meals, and you’ll want to eat them every day because they cleanse your colon. They also contain protein and fiber, two healthy dietary essentials.
4. Basil
This common pesto ingredient contains antioxidants that protect your liver. Likewise, the flavonoids in basil rebuild your body’s cells and prevent free radicals from forming in your bloodstream, ultimately reducing asthma, arthritis, and cholesterol buildup. It’s easy to grow in your garden or in a windowsill container; add fresh and aromatic basil to stir fry, Italian dishes, and tea.
5. Beets
Brightly colored beets contain calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc, four minerals that flush toxins from your body. They are also loaded with betacyanin, the red pigment that fights cancer. Eat shredded raw beets on salads, bake pureed beets into a chocolate cake, or pickle these detoxing root veggies.
6. Cinnamon
Your brain health improves and your blood sugar levels stabilize when you consume manganese, a chemical element in cinnamon. This healthy bark also contains calcium and iron, so sprinkle cinnamon on your breakfast cereal, meats, apple pie, or hot chocolate.
7. Ginger
To flush waste out of your body and reduce inflammation, eat ginger. It’s easy to mix with maple syrup as a meat or veggie marinade, and many Asian dishes contain ginger.
8. Goji Berries
Snack time just became detox time thanks to goji berries. Their vitamin C content flushes waste out of your body, and the beta-carotene assists your liver in functioning properly. In addition to eating goji berries plain, toss them into salad, your favorite homemade granola bars, dessert muffins, or meat marinades.
9. Onions
Versatile onions are probably a staple in your kitchen, and that’s good because their amino acids are brimming with liver-detoxing sulfur. While raw onions pack the most powerful punch, you can cook them, too, in a flavorful soup or with meat or vegetables.
10. Parsley
Another tasty herb, parsley grows nicely in a windowsill container, giving you year-round access to its beneficial vitamins, including beta-carotene. Top every meal with fresh parsley as you use these greens to protect your kidneys and bladder. Or relieve indigestion when you chew on a small parsley stalk.
11. Seaweed
Before you wrinkle your nose at the thought of eating seaweed, consider that it cleanses your body of excess cadmium, lead, and radioactive strontium. It also contains iodine, a natural metabolism booster. I suggest you blend it into smoothies, sauté it and mix it into an omelet, and toss it into soup. You can even dry seaweed and flavor it with salt to eat instead of chips or grind it into flour for nutritious bread.
12. Sesame Seeds
Yummy sesame seeds protect your liver from toxins. They’re easy to toss into salad, soup, meat, breading, or dipping sauces. You can even eat them by the handful to stay healthy.
13. Water
While water isn’t a food, it is one of the most powerful detoxing items you can add to your daily menu. From flushing waste to clearing skin, water heals your body inside and out. The Mayo Clinic recommends a daily fluid intake of 13 cups for adult males and nine cups for adult women.
Taking care of yourself now that you’re in recovery involves eating a diet that’s nutrient-rich and detoxing. These 13 nutritious foods help you do that. I encourage you to have fun today experimenting with ways to add these foods to your diet. Bon appétit!
By Angela Lambert
Photo by: Fabricio Zuardi (Flickr)
